1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to dental implants, and, more particularly, to a dental implant assembly with a bio-supportive or biodegradable scaffold carried by a dental implant and impregnated with regenerative stem cells, autogenous cells, growth factors or bone graft material.
2. Description of the Related Art
The endosseous dental implant (or endosteal implant) is known in the art as a dental implant consisting of a blade, screw, pin, or cylinder, inserted into a jaw bone through the alveolar or basal bone, with a post protruding through the mucoperiosteum into an oral cavity to serve as an abutment for dentures or orthodontic appliances, or to serve in fracture fixation. While known endosseous dental implants have proven to be acceptable for various dental applications, the existing endosseous dental implants are nevertheless susceptible to improvements that may enhance their performance and advance the art.